- Around 125 Atlantic white-sided dolphins were stranded in shallow waters
More than a dozen dolphins have died in a mass stranding off Cape Cod, with harrowing footage showing the mammals struggling in shallow waters and stranded side by side on sandbars.
Around 125 Atlantic white-sided dolphins was stranded in an area off the coast of Massachusetts that rescue crews called a “massive dolphin trap.”
Rescuers desperately tried for hours to pull them out of the shallow waters, and their painstaking work allowed more than 100 stranded dolphins to reach deeper waters.
An estimated 13 dolphins died and one had to be euthanized, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), but aerial images appear to show many more stranded on a sandbank.
The nonprofit said it was the largest mass stranding it had faced on the Cape during its 26-year history in the area.
Volunteers worked for hours to rescue the dolphins, but sadly many perished in the stranding.
Rescuers cover dolphins stranded in shallow water with sheets
Rescuers desperately spray the animals with water as they try to keep them alive after the stranding.
About 125 Atlantic white-sided dolphins were stranded in the area, which rescuers called a “massive dolphin trap.”
Heartbreaking footage shows dozens of dolphins covered in sheets, lying helplessly thrashing about on a sandbank, as rescuers spray them with water and check to see if they are still alive.
Rescuers said there was no specific reason why the dolphins became stranded. Cape Cod is known as a global hotspot for strandings because of the curvature of its coastline and the fluctuation of the tides.
Teams in Massachusetts found a pod of 10 Atlantic white-sided dolphins swimming in a dangerously shallow area at dawn Saturday and managed to herd them into deeper water.
Scouts also found a second pod of 25 dolphins swimming close to shore near Eastham, the organization said. Crews worked to chase them away as the tide ebbed throughout the morning.
Ten dolphins died during Friday’s stranding on The Gut in Wellfleet on the Herring River.
The Gut is a frequent stranding site, which experts believe is partly due to its hook shape and extreme tidal fluctuations.
Misty Niemeyer, the organization’s stranding coordinator, said over the weekend that rescuers faced many challenges on Friday, including difficult muddy conditions and the dolphins being scattered over a large area.
A trained volunteer attempts to herd stranded dolphins into deeper water on Friday, June 28, 2024, in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.
Rescue teams carried out a major operation over 12 hours under a scorching sun to help the mammals.
Dolphins are seen stranded in shallow waters off Cape Cod on June 28, 2024
“It was a grueling 12-hour response under the relentless sun, but the team was able to overcome the various challenges and give the dolphins their best chance of survival,” Niemeyer said in a statement.
The team started on foot, herding the creatures into deeper water, and then used three small boats equipped with underwater emitters, which make noise underwater, according to the organization.
Among those who helped with the rescue efforts were more than 25 employees of the organization and 100 trained volunteers.
The group also received support from Whale and Dolphin Conservation, the Center for Coastal Studies, AmeriCorps Cape Cod, and the New England Aquarium.
Rescuers are concerned that the rescued herd is still in the area and could return to the site, and are monitoring the situation.